Knitting-machine attachment.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903 .E. A. & A. M. PIGEON. KNITTING MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

m: mums warms cov. mumumo. WASHXNGTON. n. c.

V No. 731,494. 4 PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903; E. A. & A. M. P IGEON.

' KNITTING MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED mu 6. 1902.

vno Month 4 SHEETS-SHEBT-Z.

INVENTORS:

WITNESSES:

NORRIS PETERS w. wora-lL mm-wnsnmnwu. p. c.

PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903 I E. A. & A. M. PIGEON. KNITTING MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

No. 731,494m

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

10 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

INVENTORS:

PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903. E. A. & A. M. PIGBON. KNITTING MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

- APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1902. .10 MODEL.

.4 SHEETS-SHEET 4L FIGEZZ T T r l1 INVENTORS;

' WITNESSES:

ZNITED STATES.

Patented June 23, 1903.

FFICEt "Artur ERNEST'A. PIGEON AND ALBERT M. PIGEON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO PAXTON & ONEILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA.

KNITTING-MACHINE A I'TACHIVIENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 731,494, dated June 23, 1903. V I Application fi ed May 6. 1902. Serial No. 106,136. (No modelf) T (oil whom, a mag concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST A. PJGEON and ALBERT M. PIGEON,citiz ens of the United States, residing at No. 2052 North Sixth street in the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting- Machine Attachments, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to the so-called fashioning mechanism employed in circular-knitting machines for the man ufactnre of stockings, and the features of improvement consist in new devices for elevating the half-row of needles to the idle level at the institution ofthe narrowing operation and for-throwing into and out of operation the lifters and droppers for the individual needles and to means for effecting the necessary setting movements of the two devices just mentioned in the proper relation to the action of one another.

Referring to the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the cam-cylinder and certain of the adjacent parts in a.

machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, showing in one position the devices for controlling the operation of the lifters and droppers. Fig. 3 is a similar view in elevation, showing the said devices in the alternative position. Fig. t is a dia grammatic view illustrating the interior of the cam-cylinder as developed upon a plane surface to show the relative positions of the parts. Fig. 5 is a sectional View through the wall of the cam-cylinder, showing the device for elevating the half-row of needles to the idle position. Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, are diagrammatic views illustrating the several positions assumed by the said device in the course of its operation. Fig. 10 is a der-ail view of mechanism for controlling the operation of the needle lifters and droppers, the same being in the normal position. Fig. 11 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 10, but showing the mechanism in its abnormal position. Figs. 12 and 13 are fragmentary views of the opposite ends of the semicircular cam-support. Fig. lat is an inner face view of the cam for releasing the needle lifter and dropper controlling mechanism from the position shown in Fig. 11.

In order to avoid prolixity, I would state that the general construction of the knittingmachine and of .the needle lifters and droppers is preferably that'set forth in Letters Patent of the United Stat-es No. 521,218, dated June 12, 1894, granted to J. B. Paxton and E. I. ONeill, which is a well-known type in commercial use at the present time.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings accompanying the present specification, A indicates the cam-cylinder, and A the stationary baseplate in which it rotates. The individual needle-lifters a a are arranged on opposite sides-of the needle-cams A as indicated in Fig.4, and the needle-droppers b b are also symmetrically arranged with relation to said cams. Said lifters and droppers are, as set forth in said patent, capable of both axial and rotative movement with reference to their supporting-posts a'a and b 1), respectively, and are provided with springs a and b respectively,which normally tend to maintain the lifters and dropper-s in their operative positions, the said devices being thrown out of operation by axial movement against the strain of said springs, said movement being of such extent as to place .the engaging ends of the lifters above the needle-hubs of the active series and the ends of the droppers below the hubs of the idle series. As the needle-lifters and needle-droppers are, so to speak, antagonistic during the period of reciprocation of the cam-cylinder, the droppers are to be thrown out of operation while the lifters are acting, and vice versa. The movements necessary to throw these devices into and out of operation must therefore be timed with reference to one another, so as to act in correlation and must also be timed with reference to the preliminary step of raising one-half of the needles to the idle level at a single operation, or as it is sometimes termed, simultaneously to distinguish it from the operation oflifting individual needles at the end of successive reciprocations.

As before stated, the lifters and droppers are capable of being thrown into inoperative .positions, respectively, by shifting themaxially upon their supporting-posts, the droppers being thrown downward in order to become inoperative,and the lifters being thrown upward for a similar purpose. To accomplish these movements, I mount upon the exterior of the cam-cylinder at a point opposite to the knitting-cams a group of shifting devices constructed and arranged as follows: The shaft 0 is mounted at its central portion in the bearing-standard 0, carried by the cam-cylinder, and the ends 0 c of said shaft extend eccentrically to its central portion, so that when said shaft is rocked in its bearing said ends 0 o are raised and lowered in respective engagement with the pins d d, which project from the sleeves b of the needle-droppers b. The relation of the parts is such that when the shaft 0 is so rocked as to turn its ends a c downward they shift the droppersb below the path of thehubs of those needles which are at the idle level, but not within the path of the hubs of the active needies, so that the droppers. I) remain inoperative. If, however, the shaft 0 be rocked so as to turn its ends 0 c upward, the latter release the pins (Z d and the droppers b are uplifted hy the springs b to the operative position shown in Fig. 2, wherein said droppers Z) are in position to engagewith the end needles of the idle series at each half-reciprocation of the cam-cylinder.

The rock-shaft C is provided with tappets E E, which are adjustably fixed thereon upon opposite sides of the standard 0 by means of the set-screws e (2 The inwardly-projecting ends e e of said tappets E E engage beneath the pins a a projecting from the sleeves a of the needle-lifters a. The relation of the parts is such that when the shaft G is rocked to shift the ends 0 c downward the tappets E E release the pins a and permit the springs a to thrust. the lifters a into their lowest position ready for operation. Said lowest position of the tappets E E of course corresponds with the lowest position of the shaft ends 0 0, wherein the latter have placed the needle-droppers I) out of operation. When, however, the shaft is rocked, so as to uplift its eccentric ends a c, and thus permit the needle-droppers Z) to assume an operative position, the tappets E E engage beneath the pins a and uplift the needlelifters a to the inoperative position indicated in Fig. 2 wherein the inner ends of the lifters a are above the path of the hubs of the needles in the active series. Therefore either the needle-droppers or needlelifters can be rendered inoperative by rocking said shaft 0 in one direction or the other and maintaining it in the appropriate position. In order to rock and retain the shaft 0 in either of the-positions above described, we provide the devices shown in detail in Figs. to 14, inclusive, as follows:

The lever-arm M, provided with thehub M, is fixed by the set-screw M upon the rockshaft 0, adjoining the standard 0. Said shaft 0 is arranged to be shifted by a cam engaging the arm M, as hereinafter described, the parts being normally maintained in the position shown in Fig. 10 by the stress of the spring M which connects the stud M upon the hub M with a stud projecting from the standard 0. The hub M is provided with a shoulder an, arranged to engage the detentn upon the detent-lever N when said arm M is uplifted from the position shown in Fig. 10 to the position shown in Fig. 11. Said detent-lever N is fulcrumed at N upon the standard C and provided with the spring N which connects the stud N upon said lever with the stud N upon the hub M. The outer end of said detent-lever N terminates immediately below the arm M in a finger n, having a radial projection of less extent than said arm M, so that the cam which u'plifts said arm M may clear said finger n'.f

The arrangement of the parts above described is such that when said arm M is uplifted and the shaft 0 depressed, as indicated in Fig. 11, the shoulder m is engaged with the detent it upon the lever N and retains said arm and shaft against the tension of the spring M but when the lever N is uplifted by its finger n the detent n is disengaged from the shoulder m and said arm M and shaft 0 are returned to the normal position shown in Fig. 10 by the stress of the spring M The arm Mis uplifted to the position shown in Fig. 11 by means of the cam J, (shown in detail in Fig. 13,) and in order that said cam J- may be conveniently shifted into and out of operative relation with said arm M we mount said cam upon the upright end J of the camcarrier K, which latter, as shown in Fig. 1, is a curved lever fulcrumed at K upon the bed-plate A of the machine. The spring L normally maintains the cam-carrier K in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, in which position the cam J is out of the path of the arm M. When, however, said carrier K is shifted into its innermost position, (indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 1,) the retation of the cam-cylinder Acauses said arm M to encounter said cam J and be thereby uplifted to the position shown in Fig. 11. Said arm M and the parts connected therewith are released from the abnormal position shown in Fig. 11 by the engagement of the camj with the finger n of the lever N. As shown in Figs. 1 and 14, said cam j is conveniently mounted at the upper end of a le- Ver j, which is pivotally supported by the stud 7' fixed in the bed-plate A. Said lever j and camj are normally held out of the path of the lever N by the spring j which encircles said stud 7' the opposite extremities of said spring being, respectively, engaged with said leverj and the stationary collarj upon said stud j However, said leverj may be rocked by alink 3' (connected to any suitable controlling device) to present said cam jin position to uplift the leverNby its finger n, and thereby release the arm M from the detent n and permit said arm M and shaft C to be returned to the position shown in Fig. 10 by the spring M The device for shifting the half-series of I (raw needles to the idle level will now be described: A slot F is formed through the wall of the cam-cylinder A, and thearm F is pivoted on the stud f, fixed in the wall of said cylinder adjoining said slot. Said arm F carries at its free extremity a peculiarly-shaped piece G, which, for convenience of nomenclature, we term a riding-cam, since itis upon said piece G that the hubs of the needles ride in the course of their transfer to their idle position. The arm F, being pivoted to the eX- terior of the cam-cylinder A, the riding-cam G projects radially inward through the slot F far enough to engage with the needle-hubs, but to a distance less than the width of the needle-ledge A within which is a recess A, capable of receiving said cam G when the latter is turned into its lowest position, as indicated in Fig. 4c. Said cam G is normally retained in said lowest position by the spiral spring H, which encircles the stud f, and is fixed at one extremity to said stud and at the opposite extremity to the arm F.

The stationary cam A is secured to the inner wall of the cam-cylinder'A above the lid ing-cam G and comprises a recess in its lower portion to receive the upturned end of said i-iclingcain, as indicated in Fig. 9. Said cam A supplements the riding-cam G in that it receives the needles which traverse said riding-cam and effects their continued upward movement to the idle level. Referring to Figs. 4 and 6 to 9, inclusive, the action of the riding-cam G will now be described.

Fig. 4 shows the lowermost and normal position of the riding-cam G and its supportingarm F, wherein said parts are within the recess A in the needle-ledge A and without effect upon the needles. When, however, said cam G is raised slightly, so as to project its end 9 above the needle-ledge A as indicated in Fig. 6, the hub of the needle h then engages said cam end 9 and by the rotation of the cam-cylinder uplifts said cam G and its supporting-arm F to the position shown in Fig. 7. The periphery of said riding-cam G traversed by the needle-hubs is not concentrio with the axis of rotation of its supporting-arm F, but decreases in radius toward its end g, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive. Therefore the needles 77. M, &c., following the needles it up said cam Gin contact with its periphery of lesser radius,check its automatic rotation and retain it in the angular position shown in Fig. 7, in which position the needles are delivered successively to the cam A and rise up the latter to the idle level. However, when it is desired to terminate the operation of raising needles to the idle level the riding-cam G is positively upturned from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8, so that its step-shaped end g is encountered by the hub of the needle h and the continued rotation of the cam-cylinder causes said cam G to be upturned by and with said needle 71 to the position shown in Fig. 9. Then said needle disengages said cam G and continues its traverse up theoam A Said cam G being thus uplifted above the hubs of the needles 7r 7L5, &c., the latter will continue their traverse at the active level, and the cam G, being released from the needle its, is thrown down by its spring H until the rounded under side of its end g" rests upon the hubs of said active needles 7? it, &c., upon which it rides to the end of the series, when,being no longer supported by said hubs, the spring H returns said cam Ginto its lowermost position within the recess A out of the path of the needles. As above described, there are four stages of operation of the riding-cam G, to wit: The first stage of operation is the engagement of a needle h, as shown in Fig. 6, which needle becomes the first of a series to be uplifted to the idle level by the action of said cam. The second stage of operation is that when said needle 7t has raised the cam G to the position-shown in Fig. 7 and the following needles traverse said cam toward the idle level. The third stage of operation is that shown in Fig. 8, wherein the end needle 77.3 of the series which is to be rendered idle is engaged with the uplifted end 9 of said cam G. The fourth stage of operation is that when said cam G has been raised into the position shown in Fig. 9 by engagement with the needle 72 Being then released, said cam G is returned by its spring 11, falling first upon the needle-huhs of the active series and finally into its recess A.

As above described, the cam G must be twice uplifted by means independent of the needlesto wit, first, from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 6, and, second, from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8. To effect said positive movements of the cam G, we provide its supporting-arm F with the pin I, which projects radially outward therefrom,as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The initial movement of said cam G from its positiolrof rest shown in Fig. 4 to its position shown in Fig. 6 is effected by the pin I traversing the cam D, which latter, as shown in Figs. 1 and 13, is conveniently mounted upon the cam-carrier K, beneath the cam J. The second positive movement of said cam G from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8 is effected by the traverse of the pin I over the cam d, which latter, as shown in Figs. 1 and 12, is conveniently mounted upon the extremity of said cam-carrier K, opposite to the cam D. In order to conveniently set. said cams D and d initially and to permitof their subsequent adjustment in compensation for wear, &c., we provide the cam D with slots d, surrounding the screws (P, which latter secure said cam in stationary position upon the carrier K. Similarly the cam d is provided with slots d surrounding the screws (1, which latter secure said cam in stationary position upon the block Said block d is provided with the longitudinal slot (Z surrounding the screws d which latter secure said block in stationary position upon the carrier K.

It is to be noted that the cam-carrier K is the connecting medium by which the needledepressors, needle lifters, and cam G are caused to cooperate in definite relation, for said carrier K is provided with cams for contemporaneously controlling said devices. Although the spring L tends normally to maintain said carrier K against the abutment L in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, said carrier may be shifted, by hand or otherwise, against the tension of said spring Linto the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 1, wherein it rests against the abutment L Said devices cooperate as follows: When the change from rotary to reciprocatory knitting is about to be effected, the cam-carrier K is shifted into the position shown in full' lines in Fig. 1, wherein the arm M encounters the cam J and is uplifted into the position shown in Fig. 11, in which position the eccentric ends a c of the shaft 0 shift the needle depressors into their lowermost and inoperative position. The cam-cylinder A being rotated in the direction of the arrow shown upon Fig. 1, the aforesaid operation of the arm M by the cam J is followed by the encounter of the pin I with the cam D, which uplifts the cam Gfrom the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 6. Immediately thereafter the carrier K is released and returned by the spring L to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The cam G being automatically upturned by the needles from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7 remains in that position until the pin I encounters the cam d, which is then in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which encounter upturns said cam G from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8, wherein the needle 7L3 engages the step end g of said cam G and upturns the latter automatically to the position shown in Fig. 9, thus completing the transfer of a predetermined number of needles from the active to the idle level. Thereafter the cam-cylinder is reciprocated and the number of active needles gradually diminished by the lifters a a alternately transferring the end needles of the active series to the idle level. The narrowing operation aforesaid. is terminated by shifting the cam j within the path traversed by the detent-le- Ver N, so that the finger n of said lever is uplifted by said cam j, thus releasing the arm M, which, together with the shaft 0, is restored to the normal position shown in Fig. 10, wherein the needle-lifters a a are rendered inoperative and the needle -'droppers b b are rendered operative. Said droppers b b then alternately transfer the end needles of the idle series down from the idle level to the active level. When the widening operation aforesaid is completed, the series of idle needles first uplifted by the cam G may be contemporaneously returned to the active level by swinging the inclined cam 0 upon its pivot 0 through the slot 0 in the wall of the camcylinder A.

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the precise details of construction which we have shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of our invention.

We claim 1. The combination, with the cam-cylinder, and with the lifters and droppers capable of being thrown into and out of operative position by movement in an axial direction; of a rocking shaft having ends which extend at an angle to the central part thereof and embrace that portion of the cam -cylinder in which the lifters and droppers are mounted;

pins mounted upon the droppers and extend ing beneath the extremities of said shaft; pins upon the lifters; fingers mounted upon the shaft and engaging beneath said pins upon the lifters; means for rocking said shaft upon its central axis; and means for retaining it in the extreme positions of its rocking movement, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with thecam-cylinder, needle-cylinder and needles, of a pivoted riding-cam arranged with relation to the needle-ledge, substantially as set forth; said riding-cam being provided with a step at the rear end of its operative surface; and means for positively shifting said riding-cam to bring its ends successively into the described relation with the needle-hubs, substantially as described.

3. Thecombination, with the cam-cylinder,

needle-cylinder and needles, and with the.

lifters and droppers capable of being thrown into and out of operative position by movement in an axial direction; of a rocking shaft adjacent to that portion of the cam-cylinder in which said lifters and droppers are mounted; means for operatively connecting said shaft with the lifters and droppers; means forretaining said shaft in the extreme positions of its rocking movement; a pivoted riding-cam havinga step at its rear end and arranged in the described relation to the needle-ledge; and a cam-carrier embracing the cam-cylinder and having cam-surfaces adapted to respectively operate the rocking shaft and the riding-cam, whereby the respective movements of said rocking shaft and of said riding-cam are effected in the described relation to one another, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we,ERNEsTA.PIGEON and ALBERT M. PIGEON, have hereunto subscribed our names this 3d day of May, A. D. 1902.

ERNEST A. PIGEON. ALBERT M. PIGEON.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, C. BRADFORD FRALEY.

IIO 

